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5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

PARAPHRASE.

urging the topics which human wisdom employs for persuasion, but by an exhibition of the power 5 of the Holy Spirit in its support. Which things

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were so appointed in order that your religious dependence might be placed not on human wisdom but on the power of Almighty God.

But nevertheless we publish a system of wisdom in the judgment of those who are perfect as to the disposition of their minds, and thereby qualified to appreciate it: yet not a system of wisdom derived from our present state of existence, nor from those, who, for a time, had the lead in religious knowledge through the dispensation adapted to our present existence; but, in opposition to those notions we publish a system of wisdom, emanating from God, undiscoverable by human reason, and partially revealed by types and prophecies, which system, it is thence evident, God had previously to his temporary dispensations determined to introduce into the world, for the purpose of promoting us to a state of glory; which system, however, none of those who have the lead in religious knowledge

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

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through the dispensation adapted to our present existence have understood, though it was thus revealed in that dispensation; for had they understood it, they would not have crucified the dispenser of this glory. But neither is it discoverable by natural reason, or intelligible to the worldlyminded, as appears from what is said by Isaiah in chap. LXIV. v. 4. of his prophecy, where, in allusion to the Christian dispensation, it is written, "the things which human eye hath never seen, and human ear hath never heard of, and which it hath never entered into the human mind to conceive, these are the things which God hath pre10 pared to be revealed to them that love him." To us his apostles, however, God hath revealed these things through the agency of his Spirit, who is fully able to reveal them, for the Spirit of God can trace all his counsels, even those which have "been kept most secret from mankind. And to be convinced that is only by the Spirit of God that they could be revealed to us, judge from analogy. with human affairs, for what human being is conscious of a man's designs except his own mind

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

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within him? In like manner, also, no being is conscious of the designs of God, except the Spirit of 12 God. But then conformably to this medium of communication, we have received not a worldly disposition of mind but a spiritual one derived from God, as the means for enabling us to understand the revelations which have been graciously bestowed upon us by God. And which we publish in terms taught us, not by human wisdom, but by the Holy Spirit; combining with them under his direction spiritual knowledge for the spiritually-minded. (And we thus act, because he who considers things with a view to this life only, which is the natural condition of every man, is not disposed to receive the knowledge which proceeds peculiarly from the spirit of God, for to him it seems foolishness, neither can he apprehend it, since to be rightly apprehended it must be spiritually considered in reference to a spiritual state of existence; and therefore, to him, and so to men in general, spiritual knowledge 15 could not be openly addressed; but he, who by divine influence is become spiritually-minded con

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16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may struct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

CHAPTER III.

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1 And 1, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

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siders all the truths of the Gospel, thus delivered under these modes of speech, in their appropriate spiritual point of view, and is, therefore, able to apprehend them rightly; and at the same time, his results do not require to be considered by any one in any other point of view.) And by the Holy Spirit only could we be taught how to publish them; for what man has ever known by human wisdom the design of God in the Gospel dispensation, and shall therefore instruct Him in the mode in which the divine revelations respecting it are to be published, and without which knowledge they could not be rightly published? but we thus have through the Holy Spirit a knowledge of the design imparted to us from Christ, and are, therefore, enabled under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to publish them rightly.

And it was from your want of the requisite disposition of mind that I was unable, Brethren, to publish the Gospel to you, as I would to the spiritually-minded; but I was obliged to publish it to you as persons chiefly influenced in your views of things by present bodily considerations, as deficient in the spiritual disposition of Christianity as child

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every

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PARAPHRASE.

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ren are in knowledge, compared to men. which reason I have instructed you in the Christian doctrines under views drawn from this life, and not under spiritual ones; just as we feed infants with milk, and not with meat difficult of digestion; for you have not been, as yet, fit to receive this higher degree of instruction; nor, indeed, are you 3 even now fit for it, for you are still chiefly influenced in your views of things by present bodily considerations. Is not the existence among you of a zeal for particular teachers, and of consequent contention and separation into parties, a proof that you are chiefly influenced in your views of things by present bodily considerations, and that your conduct is that of men acting chiefly with a regard to the present constitution of our nature? For as long as one says, I am the follower of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, can it be otherwise than that you are chiefly influenced in your views of things 5 by present bodily considerations? Now consider who is Paul, and who is Apollos (whatever the personal qualities of each may be), but a minister of Christ, through whose preaching you have been

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